The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-03-31
Fire 10 the JGlrnal BavliRg.


About half-past five Friday nothing, Thomas
Robinson, young lad in tho employ Of the Bel
fast Livery Company, was passing along Church
street on his way to work. When abreast of the
Journal building he discovered fire in the boot and
shOcsto Of Gates Il Stics hey, did A. oLeo gaze
the alarm. The general alarm was given about
fifteen minutes before six O'Clock, and was the
poorest fire alarm OF which We have any recollec-
ton. A few blasts were sounded from the whistle
at Mathews Bros. sash and blind factory, but not
bell was sounded, and many who heard the
whistle thought 1t was the regular morning whis-
tie which blows at fifteen minutes before six. As
q consequence there was not over seventy five
people all told at the fire, and many within one or
two blocks of the spot knew nothing of it until all
was over. The fire department responded, No. 5
taking position in Custom House Square, and No.
at the reservoir on High street near the engine
house, the former playing in front of the building
and the latter in the rear There was an abun-
dance of water, but the brakes were poorly man
ned and there was no material to draw upon when
the men became exhausted. Had it been neces-
sary to work the engines much longer this would
have materially hampercd the fire department. The
small crews worked with will, however, and
debtcd for good service in protecting property
were Messrs. X. H. Moody, Frank W. Patterson
and Thos. Is. Dinsmore. A northeast storm was
prevailing and the rain fell heavily.
The ground floor of the Journal building is oc-
cupied by Messrs. Gates 4 stickney, boot and shoe
dealers, and Charles W. Haney, clothing and fur
Company occupying the remainder Of the build
nd ia
store of Gates & Stickney, and the editorial
rooms over the store of Mr.. Hancy. The building
is of brick with slate roof and iron cutters, and
the rear door and windows have iron shutters. 1t
Is of the best protected buildings from outside
fires in the city, while the journal has an inside
| fire department for Its own use. In ten minutes
| steam can be made and Il force pump, abundantly
supplied with water, set to work, with hose that
will reach any portion of the building. On this
| occasion the machinery was inaccessible by rca
son Of the dense smoke that had filed the building
before the fire was discovered.
The fire originated in Gates 4 Stckncy's store
near n wooden screen on the right hand side and
about twothirls the length of the room from the
front door. The fire began on this partition and
worked up on the side wall into the ceiling over
head. A hole was burned through the floor and
material in the cellar took FIRE. A clock which
hung OH the wooden screen was found in the Gel
lar the hands indicating that 1t had stopped at ter
minutes past three. This goes to show that tn,
fire, which must have started from match, cigar
stub, or hot ashes from pipe, had been shoulder
ing all night. The building, with double windows
In front and shutters in the nearly all
tight that there was little draught to feed the flames
Mr.. IIaney who was in his store about clever
O'Clock the night before told his wife when he
went home that he notice,la peculiar odor, but i
did not resemble that of smoke.
The floor in the press room Of the journal Office
Immediately over the fire is sheathed with shee
| iron, which acted check on the flames, an,
| really was the salvation of the building. Whcl
the flames got beyond the limits Of the sheet iron
| floor they burned through into the composin:
ROOM Before this attempts had been made t.
enter the second story, but the dense heat an,
smoke drove back all who tried it. Finally tn,
windows front and rear were broken out to permi
the smoke to escape, and just in time a stream o
water was put on up stairs. 1t was handled witt
| great care, as not to disturb the type in tn
cases and on the imposing stones, and with TIN
| streams playing away beneath the fire was sool
under control and by seven o'clock was cxtin
guishcd.
The composing and press room presented
! ginc, were as black as smoke and fire can MAKE
| machinery. All the composition rollers were melt
ed and the paper stock prepared for the nex
| edition ruined. The forms, containing matter 70
the outside and the type in the cases were coate,
| with black sticky substance and the walls an,
ceiling blackened. Not more than a stckful o
Journal having directed the rcmcn where t.
| play and thus saved much damage. The cditora
rooms escaped both fire and water, but the smok
penetrated everywhere and left its mark upo
books and papers.
| The fire did not extend to Mr.. Haney's store
| but he is damaged by smoke and removal. During
the fire, like every other part of the building, tn
| store filled with dense smoke and Mr.. ii. il
attempting TO save his valuables remained until h
fell to the floor unconscious when he was found ant
| dragged out more dead than alive. Mr.. IIaney i
| Grand Master of the Grand Council of Mason
| and had valuable records and material belonging
to the order in his desk. These he got out as wei
| rs his books. large portion of his stock was re
moved. The adjoining dry goods store of A. u
Chase was filed with smoke, but no damage wa
| done.
Gates 4 Stickney's store where the fire originate,
was completely Quilted, and their stock is nearly
total loss.
| There is slO,50O insurance ON the building an'
contents. Gates n Stickney are insured for -,
900, their loss being nearly total. G. W. IIancy i
| insured for 81 900, and as his damage is from
| smoke it is hard to estimate the loss. The Kepul
lican Journal Publishing Company is insured TO
! $4,000. Loss probably 1900 The building owne,
| by the Misses Simpson is insured for $500. Los
| about 500.
Some petty tlievins was done from Gates s
Stickney's stock of boots and shoes, and the OFF
| GERS took pair of shoes from one person, but in
stead of arresting him gave him parting kick.
| former fire In the Journal Office occurred OF
the 22d of January, 1884, and is thus recorded il
Wiliiamsons History: cat ten o'clock in tn
Main street, which stood upon the ground nov
| covered by store No. q, opposite the American
| House, occupied by John Dorr, publisher of TIN
| WOrkingmen's Advocate. The fire originated from
a defective chimney, and the upper portion wa
| soon in flames, which communicated to the con
| tiguous building containing the Republican jour
nal Office, and the leather store of Nathaniel Frost
The contents of both buildings were saved in ;
| damaged condition. In its removal, the printin:
| press of the journal was broken, and the type
of both establishments were knocked into p'
| Transfers In Real Estate.
The following are the transfers in real estate, i,